Going to be "roughing it" for a week starting next Tuesday. One good method I've found for camp cooking is to use a cast iron skillet sitting directly on top of a grate (for spacing) on a charcoal briquette chimney-style fire starter. No need to use a grill!

Just wonder if you might have a simple but scrumptious recipe to have a go at. Now, you're probably thinking "just use any one-skillet recipe and have at it." But I'd like to know if you have a particular favorite gourmetish recipe

Cook shrimp in your skillet. Add pasta, and rest of ingredients, cook to warm through, and until you smell the fragrant garlic. Serve warm. Sprinkle with more fresh parsley, and drizzle lemon juice over the top. delish!

I just looked though all our old camping recipes. Unfortunately they all were done on a two burner camping stove. If you don't have one, you might rent one because it allows you to cooked things like rice, and pasta on the other burner.

Fred, along the lines of Karen's "take the pasta already cooked" I was going to suggest fried rice. Almost anything goes well in fried rice, including ground meat that you brown first. You can take soy sauce packets along to make it Asian, or hot sauces to go Mexican, or combine the rice with a lot of scrambled eggs and some pre-cooked broccoli for a great breakfast version, and so on. One of our favorite one-skillet meals that we do on our little Coleman camp stove involves raw chicken breast, diced to 1" pieces, lightly sauteed until just opaque for about 1-2 minutes, to which we add herbs d'Provence, chicken broth from a carton, a dash of white wine and a box of orzo which cooks very quickly. Literally, four (or five with the wine) ingredients that are easily packed, combined and cooked--a very satisfying one-skillet dinner ready in about ten minutes. Another great camping ingredient? Mole sauce in a jar. Great way to season meat + pasta or meat + rice with one jar and broth or water. Speaking of broth, Swanson now makes chicken and beef versions of something called "flavor boosters". They're small packets about the size of a take-out soy sauce packet that would be a whole lot better than boullion cubes (though not as good as a real broth, of course), that would make excellent lightweight, space-saving flavor enhancers for camping. I should get some for our little RV!

Something fun to do while camping? Take refrigerator-can biscuits, and brown them in your skillet with a little oil. They pop up like donuts. When they're ready, break them open and fill with jam. YUM.

Another breakfast idea: butter thick slices of artisan bread, cook like Texas toast in your skillet and top with smooshed ripe avocado, salt and pepper. A favorite even when we're not camping, and very much appreciated when we are.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Jenise wrote:Fred, along the lines of Karen's "take the pasta already cooked" I was going to suggest fried rice. Almost anything goes well in fried rice, including ground meat that you brown first. You can take soy sauce packets along to make it Asian, or hot sauces to go Mexican, or combine the rice with a lot of scrambled eggs and some pre-cooked broccoli for a great breakfast version, and so on. One of our favorite one-skillet meals that we do on our little Coleman camp stove involves raw chicken breast, diced to 1" pieces, lightly sauteed until just opaque for about 1-2 minutes, to which we add herbs d'Provence, chicken broth from a carton, a dash of white wine and a box of orzo which cooks very quickly. Literally, four (or five with the wine) ingredients that are easily packed, combined and cooked--a very satisfying one-skillet dinner ready in about ten minutes. Another great camping ingredient? Mole sauce in a jar. Great way to season meat + pasta or meat + rice with one jar and broth or water. Speaking of broth, Swanson now makes chicken and beef versions of something called "flavor boosters". They're small packets about the size of a take-out soy sauce packet that would be a whole lot better than boullion cubes (though not as good as a real broth, of course), that would make excellent lightweight, space-saving flavor enhancers for camping. I should get some for our little RV!

Something fun to do while camping? Take refrigerator-can biscuits, and brown them in your skillet with a little oil. They pop up like donuts. When they're ready, break them open and fill with jam. YUM.

Another breakfast idea: butter thick slices of artisan bread, cook like Texas toast in your skillet and top with smooshed ripe avocado, salt and pepper. A favorite even when we're not camping, and very much appreciated when we are.

Wow Jenise, as usual you are a fount of great ideas. And I probably would have thought of none of them. The fried rice sounds easy and scrumptious, that's a definite breakfast with the eggs and broccoli. The chicken dish will certainly be dinner one night. I have used the flavor boosters on a couple of occasions. And they'd certainly be easy enough to throw in the mix. The biscuit idea is a must-do no brainer and I've always wanted to try the avocado toast thing but haven't. Now's the time!

These are great ideas. This is actually going to be one helluva party. About 350 to 400 uke players from all over the country, and a handful of other countries, all camping, partying and playing both onstage and off in a huge field – can't wait.

Fred, happy to help. Be sure to 'fry' the biscuits on low as you need them to not brown too quickly while they cook through. And re the chicken-orzo thing? I didn't really mean use the whole box, use your judgement. You want enough so that all the liquid's absorbed, but I don't know how to tell you how much that is for your size pan. Pretty much 2:1, liquid to orzo, though.

And re 350 to 400 ukelele players camping in a big open field? I am SO jealous of that. Have a great time!

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Jenise wrote:Fred, happy to help. Be sure to 'fry' the biscuits on low as you need them to not brown too quickly while they cook through. And re the chicken-orzo thing? I didn't really mean use the whole box, use your judgement. You want enough so that all the liquid's absorbed, but I don't know how to tell you how much that is for your size pan. Pretty much 2:1, liquid to orzo, though.

And re 350 to 400 ukelele players camping in a big open field? I am SO jealous of that. Have a great time!

Thanks! Picked up on the orzo. Last time I made jambalaya I followed the recipe blindly without thinking. Too much rice instead or orzo but same result.

And just for those who are thinking, "ukulele players?" PLEASE check out this link... you'll be AMAZED:

No fear, Fred. Last fall I went to see the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain. They were excellent. One of their numbers was a play-along with the audience and I'd say about a quarter of the people at Carnegie Hall had brought their ukes!

Carl Eppig wrote:I just looked though all our old camping recipes. Unfortunately they all were done on a two burner camping stove. If you don't have one, you might rent one because it allows you to cooked things like rice, and pasta on the other burner.

Carl, thanks, Need be 2, chimneys and 2 skillets... and whatever else I cobble together. I pretty much only do this once a year and this is only the 2nd for me. But I need to get more gear and do this kind of thing more often. I actually fabricated a PVC frame "cot" that runs the length of of the passenger side of my Scion Xb over the folded down seats. And all the parts stow behind the back seat when not in use. This time though it's tent with a 10x10 canopy covered "porch."

Jeff Grossman/NYC wrote:No fear, Fred. Last fall I went to see the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain. They were excellent. One of their numbers was a play-along with the audience and I'd say about a quarter of the people at Carnegie Hall had brought their ukes!

Love to catch them live. I think the audience participation at their performances is a much anticipated given. If I'm right, I understand you're a professional classical musician? I envy that. As far as ukes go here is another awesome vid by the UK's "Jive Aces' that is just incredibly entertaining, "Bring Me Sunshine." Sorry if I'm getting too far afield from food here but I'm psyched!